Moldable and adjustable display form



Aug. 23, 1938. l, R CK 2,127,941

MOLDABLE AND ADJUSTABLE DISPLAY FORM Filed June 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOR In: R. Rack TORNEY Aug. 23, 1938. R. ROCK 2,127,941

MOLDABLE AND ADJUSTABLE DISPLAY FORM Filed' June 26, 1955 Z'Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR [03 R. Rock fiz im,

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oF ics MOLDABLE ANDADJUSTABLE DISPLAY FORM Application June 26, 1935, Serial No. 28,406

8 Claims.

said garment to afford the viewer a true representation thereof.

Merchants in one neighborhood or locality may have to cater topurchasers who prefer a garment with one style of hip and waist lines,while merchants in another locality find it necessary to emphasizecertain other lines and contours even for garments of the same size.

The invention contemplates the provision of a hollow form faithfullysimulating the front half of the human torso and made of fibre, buckramor the like, to afford substantial rigidity and a fair degree ofpliability. It is also contemplated to mount sucha form upon anadjustable stand or pedestal, or support it from a conventional coathanger or other support, so it may be placed for show purposes in amanner whereby the front of a garment thereon is exposed to View. Formsof this type may be made in all the necessary sizes and shapes inconformity with sizes and shapes of the human body which they simulate.

For the purposes of economy and for affording more universal use of anyone form, and to afford each individual garment-displayer theopportunity of exercising his own personal judgment, skill or whim as tothe shape he wishes to impart to the garment to be displayed, in order Hto induce the prospective customers of his particular locality to desireand purchase the garment, the invention seeks to provide a form of theabove mentioned character which is easily and readily adjustable tovarious hip and waist contours. In this manner, two or three sizes offorms may each be varied in size and shape to provide, in effect, eightto twelve, or more sizes of display forms.

The invention also contemplates the provision of readily accessible,simple and effective means for varying the size and shape of a displayform of the hollow pliable type herein contemplated.

Another contemplated feature of the invention is to provide simpleinexpensive means for sebs curing said form to a stand or pedestal andto fill provide means in the manner of clips placed in the hollow of theform for engaging portions of the garment draped upon the form for thepurpose of retaining said garment in proper and non-displaceablerelation thereon.

The invention, as exemplified in the accompanying drawings, suggestsseveral means for realizing the foregoing objects of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view, as seen from the rear, of a preferredembodiment of display form incorporating features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 2-2 of Figure1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the hip portion of the form bent to asmaller size.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sectional views of alternate forms of theinvention.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary rear view showing still another embodiment ofthe invention.

Fig. 8. is a view similar to Figure l, of an alternate embodiment ofdisplay form including modified means for varying the size and shape ofthe form.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of still another means for varying thesize and shape of a display f orm.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary rear view thereof.

In greater detail, the form It comprises a hollow body simulating thefront of the human torso and including a bust portion I I, a waistportion, l2, and a hip portion I3. In the usual manner, the form is madeof relatively stiff, flexible material such as fibre, papier-mach, orbuckram which is capable of being bent though always 35 tending toresume its initial shape.

In a manner well known, the form may be supported upon an adjustablestand or pedestal it by means such as the clamp if), said stand beingprovided with a hanger it for the purpose of supporting shoulderportions of a garment arranged on the form.

To suit the distance between the shoulders and the waist line of thegarment, the form may be vertically adjusted, relative to the shoulderhang-- er on the stand or other support, and hence no adjustmentstherefor are necessary in. the body of the form. It is desirable,however, to adjust the dimensions of the form particularly at the hipand waist portions l2 and I3 respectively. A preferred form of means forthis purpose is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and comprises a bendablemember H in the form of a strip of metal or the like secured to theinner portion a metal strip l5 which, like the strip ill may also bebendable so that adjustments of the waist portion of the form, at whichpoint said strip I 5 isfsecured, may be made in the manner abovedescribed.

In addition, the strip l5 may be provided "adjacent each of its endswith a spring clip or the like l5 into which may be tucked side portionsof the garment which is draped on the form to effectively and securelysupport said garment properly thereon.

If desired, the strips I5 or I! may be omitted and tie-back strings l9secured at the edges of the form as at 20 may be employed for varyingthe size of the hip portions. This is shown in Figure 4. In such caseclamp I5 may be secured directly to the form.

Another manner of carrying out the invention is shown in Figure 5,wherein a turnbuckle 2| engages oppositely thread-ed rods 22 pivoted tothe edges of the form at 23.

In the previously described forms of the invention the sizes of the hipportions were varied by either drawing the edges of the form towardseach other or by spreading them apart, or by utilizing the inherenttendency of the form to resume its initial position as shown in Figure4. The hip sizes may also be lessened by simultaneously pressing againstthe center of the form from the rear and pulling the edges of the form.This embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 6 in which a crossbar 24 is fastened at its ends to the form as at 25 and provided with ascrew seat for a screw 25 which may impinge either on the form directlyor upon a member 21 secured to the form at a medial portion thereof. Asthe screw is turned, the bar 24 is bowed and therefor draws the edges ofthe form towards each other. In the drawings, the form is shown at itsmaximum size.

Associated with any of the forms of the invention above described, theremay be employed metal strips 28, secured to the form adjacent its sideedges and extending to a length sufficient to modify the entire hiplines of the form when the size varying means are operated. These stripsalso may be separately bendable if desired or they may be spring memberssufliciently flexible so the hip lines are smooth in any adjustedposition of the form The form, as previously described, is used inassociation with a hanger l6 for proper support of a garment. However,the form may be made with shoulder portions 30 terminating in a neckportion 3! as shown in Figure 8 to obviate the use of the mentionedhanger l6 and to present to the viewer a more complete simulation of thehuman torso. This type of form may be mounted as heretofore described ormay simply be hung upon the top end of a stand or over the hanger, theinner portion of the neck or the shoulders serving for this purpose.

In Figure 8 is also disclosed still another type of means for varyingthe size and shape of the form at the hip and waist portions. In thisinstance, the strips 28 may be connected by an arched metal strip 32bendable as desired for modifying the contour of the form at adjacentportions, the strips 28 being either bendable or sufficiently springyfor the same purpose.

Still another form of adjusting means is shown in Figures 9 and 10wherein the bendable strip i1 is provided at each end with a hinge eye33. To each eye is hinged a strip 34, one being provided with a screwseat 35 and the other with an adjusting slot 36, a shouldered screw 31being employed for clamping the strips 34 and any adjusted relation ofthe form. The strip II, in this form of the invention, may be omittedand short members having hinge eyes 33 may be employed instead.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the invention is capable ofrealization in many ways. Hence this specific disclosure which iscapable of modification by skilled persons, should not tend to restrictthe scope of the following claims. Whatever restrictions are imposedshould rather be based upon the prior art.

What is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A display form for garments comprising an integral flexible hollowbody of sheet material simulating the front of the human torso, and abendable nonresilient member secured to an inner portion of said bodytransversely thereof and spaced from the upper and lower edges of saidbody whereby bending said member will flex adjacent portions of saidbody to vary the size thereof.

2. A display form for garments comprising an integral flexible hollowbody of sheet material simulating the front of the human torso, abendable non-resilient member secured to an inner portion of the bodyintermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and transverse thereto,and a substantially vertically disposed strip member secured adjacenteach vertical edge of the body along the hip line whereby bending saidbendable member will flex adjacent portions of said body to vary thesize thereof, said strip members acting to modify the contour of saidadjacent portions of the body in accordance with the degree of bendingof the bendable member.

3. A display form for garments comprising an integral flexible hollowbody of sheet material simulating the front of the human torso, abendable non-resilient member secured to the body intermediate the upperand lower ends thereof and transverse thereto, and a substantiallyvertically disposed strip member secured adjacent each vertical edge ofthe body along the hip line whereby bending said bendable member willflex adjacent portions of said body to vary the size thereof, said stripmembers acting to modify the contour of said adjacent portions of thebody in accordance with the degree of bending of the bendable member.

4. A display form for garments comprising a flexible integral hollowbody of sheet material simulating the front of the human torso, meansfor varying the size of a portion of said body comprising a bar havingits ends secured to the inner side of the body and adjacent the verticaledges thereof, and means connected to said bar for bowing the bar andthereby flexing adjacent portions of said body.

5. A display form for garments comprising a flexible integral hollowbody of sheet material simulating the front of the human torso, meansfor varying the size of a portion of said body comprising a transversebendable member disposed on said body intermediate the upper and lowerextremities thereof, and substantially vertically disposed memberssecured to and adjacent the side edges of the form at the hip line, theends of said transverse member being secured to an intermediate portionof the said vertical members.

6. A display form for garments comprising a flexible integral hollowbody of sheet material simulating the front of the human torso, meansfor varying the size of a portion of said body comprising a transversebendable member attached to said body intermediate the upper and loweredges thereof, and substantially vertically disposed spring memberssecured to and adjacent the side edges of the form, the ends of saidtransverse member being secured to the said vertical membersintermediate their ends.

'7. In combination with a garment supporting and display stand havinglateral extending arms on the upper portion thereof, a display formdetachably and adjustably mounted on the standard of the stand, saiddisplay form comprising a flexible integral hollow body of sheetmaterial simulating the front of the human torso, means for varying thesize of the waist area of said form comprising a bendable strip securedtransversely to the concave side of the form in the region of thewaistline, clamping means extending from said strip for adjustableengagement with the standard of the stand, and means for varying thesize of the hip area comprising a bendable member secured transverselyto the concave side of the form at the hip region.

8. In combination with a garment supporting and display stand havinglateral extending arms on the upper portion thereof, a display formdetachably and adjustably mounted on the standard of the stand, saiddisplay form comprising a flexible integral hollow body of sheetmaterial simulating the front of the human torso, means for varying thesize of the waist area of said form comprising a bendable strip securedtransversely to the concave side of the form in the region of thewaistline, clamping means extending from said strip for adjustableengagement with the standard of the stand, means for varying the size ofthe hip area comprising a bendable member secured transversely to theconcave side of the form at the hip region, and a substantiallyvertically disposed spring member secured to and adjacent the side edgesof the form and extending from the region of the waistline to the regionof the hip line and attached to ends of the bendable member, wherebybending said bendable member will flex adjacent portions of said body tovary the size thereof, said spring members acting to modify the contourof said adjacent portions of the body in accordance with the degree ofbending of the bendable member.

IDA R. ROCK.

